ONLINE DATING REALITIES
There Are Some Things That Dating Apps Just Can’t Give You
If people were to list down all the things they’d thank modern technology for, chief among them would probably be the existence of dating apps.
What’s not to like? You can meet beautiful strangers, exchange flirty messages, and plan romantic dates all in the confines of your home.
Love has never been so easy, and the world so small and just within reach.
But no matter how innovative and exciting tech companies make the newest dating apps (there’s one where only women can initiate conversations, another that’s just for gamers, and one app that takes into account the users’ zodiac signs), they still have limits.
It seems like there will always be things even the best digital romance just can’t promise.
The First Impression Experience
Dating apps may take advantage of state-of-the-art technology for their services, but it still can’t replicate a real-life first impression.
It tries its best, of course. Instant messaging lets you talk to people in real time, and video calls even allow you to speak to your matches like they’re standing right in front of you.
Still, meeting someone in person for the first time is a completely different experience that dating apps would be hard-pressed to imitate. There’s the awkwardness of having to make eye contact while asking a stranger for their name, all the ways your fingers fidget because you don’t know where to put your hands, and the smell of someone’s perfume when you lean in close to hear them better.
Everything Physical Intimacy Has to Offer
A lot of people may want to avoid meeting fellow singles in person by using dating apps, but they’ll also be giving up an important part of romance: physical intimacy.
It’s one of the biggest challenges of couples in long-distance relationships, after all. You can exchange sweet messages. You can send thoughtful gifts.
But you can’t touch.
There are others who see dating apps as just the stepping stone, so for them, physical intimacy is something to look forward to. By the time they move the “Getting to Know Each Other” stage somewhere up close and personal, they can freely share as many hugs and kisses as they want.
But as long as you’re stuck in the online dating phase, physical intimacy is simply out of reach, so to speak.
A Little Bit of Kismet
For hopeless romantics out there, dating apps can lose their appeal when compared to a classic case of destiny.
There are people who still believe in chance encounters and fated lovers, so online dating may feel too artificial or “programmed” because there’s an algorithm involved. The fact that you’re encouraged to post your best photos or write catchy bios can also ruin the fun.
On one hand, some can argue that there are millions of people who use dating apps, so meeting someone who’s actually special can feel like a stroke of luck or part of the universe’s grand design.
That’s fair. Even with all the tools you can use to curate your dating experience on the internet, the odds of finding true love are still so unlikely that it can feel rare and precious when you actually do.
With modern romance comes modern problems as well as modern solutions. Dating apps are a prime example.
But if you’re looking for something a little more traditional, one that echoes love stories in ages past, then maybe going out there and chasing your soulmate with your legs instead of your thumbs is one other way you can try.
